DAY 30

Congratulations! Today marks the 30th day on the Paleo Challenge.

What changed?  Where did you see improvements?  

Photos, photos, photos! We will be retaking photos and body fat testing again this week. Sign up with one of the coaches

Tell me about the hardest moments.  

And the most rewarding moments.

Any awesome new recipes?  

Did you learn how to cook? 

Tips, tricks, and advice you learned along the way.

Anything else noteworthy.

We are really proud of everyone who particpated in the Paleo Challenge. We will announce the winner on Sunday!

DAY 29

The Paleo Diet for Athletes is also another great resource (pdf here). There are recommendations for Pre--During and Post workout supplementation depending on energy needs. The amazing part is that all the recommendations are Paleo friendly.

Challenge of the Day: Experiment with Post WOD supplementation according to the pdf.

DAY 28

You see, omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. Omega 6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory -- they promote inflammation. An estimated 175 million Americans (more than half of us) suffer from one form of chronic illness or another, and I contend it's because we consume so much of our fat in the form of omega 6 fatty acids. So, striving toward health is not about decreasing our fat intake, but rather increasing the healthy fat intake.
Challenge of the Day: Cook with real fats.  If you're cooking, then cook with lard or animal fat.  If you don't have that, then cook with coconut oil, olive oil, or canola oil.

Fish Oil Supplementation (article)

Omegea-3 vs Omega-6 Fats (article)

DAY 27

When we eat a carbohydrate rich meal, blood sugar levels increase as the carbohydrates are broken down into their base molecules - sugar. As blood sugar levels increase, insulin is released in response. Insulin is a hormone which moves glucose (sugar) from the blood into the muscles and fat cells for storage. In order to visualize this relationship better, take a look at the graph below.

In this graph we can see how insulin reacts to an increase in blood glucose levels. After the ingestion of a carbohydrate rich meal, blood glucose levels increase rapidly. Once the body detects these elevated blood glucose levels it releases insulin. You can see that blood glucose levels peak and then fall off and insulin does the same, however insulin levels peak later than blood glucose. Once blood glucose levels reach normal again, you can see that it takes insulin a little bit longer to reach normal again. It is this lag time in normalization of insulin levels which gives us those sugar cravings after carbohydrate rich meals. This is because blood sugar levels are normal but we still have insulin present in the blood and that insulin needs something to do - without sugar to store it gets bored! So it has the effect of asking the body for more sugar. That's why we get hungry even though we just ate a few hours ago.

So what can we do to eliminate or at least reduce these hunger cravings? We have to learn how to control the insulin response to some degree. If we can decrease the amount of sugar we dump into our blood, thereby decreasing the size of the peak in blood glucose levels, the insulin response will decrease accordingly. By leveling off the peaks and valleys in insulin during the day you'll be able to exit that 'hunger rollercoaster' that plagues millions.


Challenge of the Day: On Super Bowl Sunday, stay away from the carbs!

 

DAY 26

Blend a stir-fry uncommon to most people: Broccoli and bacon, Peaches and chicken, Ground beef and mashed sweet potatoes.

Getting bored on a diet is the biggest excuse why people quit. Don't be a quitter!

"A quitter never wins, a winner never quites"

DAY 25

Time to treat yourself with a night out on the town. Go to a restaurant that you would enjoy eating at. The only difference is that you can only eat Paleo. This is a great opportunity to hone in on your Paleo skills. The trick is to start with a main dish that is surley Paleo. Steaks, Chicken, etc., then ask for sides of vegetable, salad, and even sweet potatoe fries if your lucky.

DAY 24

A recent wide body of research is showing that some pathways may link the Paleo Diet to mood improvement. Recent research has demonstrated that the mechanisms underlying depression and anxiety are:

a) Disrupted neurotransmitters metabolism

b) Disrupted neuroendocrine function

b) Disrupted neural plasticity

Chronic low-grade inflammation is at the root of all of these pathophysiologic pathways. The Paleo Diet fights against inflammation because emphasizes a proper omega6/omega3 fatty acid ratio, and it avoids immunostimulant substances such as wheat germ agglutinin, and other lectins.

Hyperinsulinemia is also related to disrupted brain glucose metabolism. People who eat the Paleo Diet tend to have very low insulin levels.

One of the primary causes of low-grade inflammation is leaky gut syndrome or increased intestinal permeability (mostly from grains). Increased gut permeability may allow increased passage of bacterial and/or dietary antigens into circulation, inducing immune activation and inflammation. The Paleo Diet is low in foods that are known to promote gut permeability, thus further reducing low-grade inflammation.

Challenge of the Day: NO Grains. Read food labels. Some foods sneek them in. Even if the meat your eating is grain-fed your still digesting some of the grain from the cows digestion.